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We perform a wide variety of surgical procedures and take great pride in our ability to provide your pet with a safe surgical experience. Our veterinarians perform not only routine surgeries such as spays and neuters, but are also skilled at performing growth removals, cystotomies (removal of bladder stones), exploratory laparotomies, foreign body removals, soft palate resections, growth removals, eye and ear surgeries and more. Some surgeries are done with our surgical laser.

We recommend routine dental care for all of our patients so we have a fully equipped, dental surgical suite in our hospital in addition to our main surgical area. Our dental services include routine teeth cleaning and polishing, digital dental X-rays, tooth extractions and minor oral surgery. We ensure there is a doctor and a veterinary technician or veterinary assistant with your pet during the entire procedure.

We hope the following information will help you prepare for your pet's surgery. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us with any questions.

What Do I Need to Do To Prepare My Pet For Surgery?

For the safety of your pet, other hospitalized animals, and our staff, all animals that come in for surgery are required to be current on vaccines and have had a stool check. Required vaccines, at least 7 days prior to surgery, include distemper, rabies, and bordetella for dogs. Dogs must also have a negative heartworm test before being anesthetized. Cats must be current on distemper and rabies at least 7 days prior to surgery.

It is important that surgery be done on an empty stomach to reduce the risk of vomiting (which could lead to aspiration) during and after anesthesia. You will need to withhold food after 10pm the night before surgery. Water can be given.

We will call you the night before your scheduled surgery appointment, to confirm the time you will be dropping your pet off and to answer any questions you might have.The morning of surgery, we will need 10-20 minutes of your time to fill out paperwork and have a veterinary technician/assistant or doctor discuss the procedure with you. When you pick up your pet after surgery, plan to spend about 15 minutes to go over your pet's home care needs.

How Is The Safety of My Animal Maintained During Anesthesia?

Today's modern anesthetic monitors have made surgery much safer than in the past. We take every precaution to ensure your pet will have a safe anesthetic experience. Your pet receives a physical exam before administering anesthetics. We also adjust the amount and type of anesthetic used depending on the health of your pet.

Our trained veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants help our doctors with every surgery and every dental procedure. Your pet's temperature, oxygen saturation level, heart rate and other vital signs are monitored from the time your pet is anesthetized until they are awake.

We feel strongly that blood testing prior to surgery is important in reducing the risk of anesthesia. Therefore, as part of the surgical experience, every dog and cat undergoing surgery at Danada Veterinary Hospital receives blood testing through our laboratory before surgery. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that could cause anesthetic or surgical complications; these problems often cannot be detected without blood testing. If serious problems are found, surgery can be postponed until the problem is addressed.

We also start each animal on IV fluids during the surgery. This helps keep your pet's blood pressure normal throughout the procedure. An IV catheter already in place is also extremely beneficial should your pet experience an anesthetic emergency which would require immediate intravenous medication. Core body temperature drops following the induction of general anesthesia, so we take all precautions to monitor body temperature both during surgery and the recovery process.

How Is My Pet's Pain Addressed After the Surgery?

Providing whatever pain relief is appropriate is the humane and caring thing to do for your pet.

Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don't whine or cry, but they feel it. We want to make sure the tissue has time to heal and no damage to the area takes place. This is why we ask you to keep your pet quiet for 7-10 days after surgery. Pain medications dispensed will depend on the surgery performed; major procedures require more pain relief than minor procedures. However, we make every effort to take each individual animal's pain tolerance into consideration when prescribing the type and duration of pain control. Animals receive pain medication prior to surgical onset to help prevent pain before it even starts.

Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better and safer pain control than ever before. After surgery, oral pain medication is provided to all patients based on appropriate level of need.

Will My Pet Have Stitches?

Many surgeries require skin stitches. If there are pink skin sutures, these will usually be removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. Some surgeries use absorbable sutures in, or underneath, the skin. These will dissolve and do not need to be removed. With either type of suture, you need to watch the incision for swelling or discharge as well as monitor whether the pet is licking or chewing at the incision. In some instances we will send your pet home with a body guard collar that he/she wears around the neck. Otherwise known as the cone of shame, we prefer to call it a 'party hat!'

What Other Decisions Do I Need To Make?

While your pet is under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to perform other minor procedures such as nail trims and implanting an identification microchip. Nail trims are included free of charge for all animals having surgery. Microchips are permanent identification that greatly facilitate the return of your pet should he or she ever get lost.

Through the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Veterinary Care Charitable Fund, our hospital is able to offer care for pets in our community when their owners face extraordinary hardships, as well as to provide medical services to the lost, neglected and abused animals that find their way into our hospital. Your donations to the AVMF on behalf of our hospital will help us help animals. Click on the AVMF donate button to make your tax deductible donation.